A Carefree Afternoon
by Chelse30
Summary: Takes place as if the curse never happened. A Charming family story when Emma was a young child. All it takes to be a princess is to have a pretty flower placed in ones hair.
1. Chapter 1

As she walks through the gardens, flowers sway around her. She lets her hands run along the tall plants, barely noticing the pricks and scrapes some leave behind.

A voice calls her name, trying to capture her attention. Emma turns towards it, slightly intrigued by the sound. She sees her father standing by the water's edge. James is crouching by a rock, beckoning her closer with an outstretched arm. She hurries towards him, her blond hair flying behind her. He looks up when she steps closer and pulls her into his arms.

His blue eyes meet her green ones and his face shows nothing but love. James smiles down at his daughter wondering, not for the first time, how he ever got so lucky. He holds out a bright, red flower for her to see, but then pulls it away when she starts to reach for it. Emma pouts slightly and feels him chuckle quietly.

"Remember," he says in a soothing voice, "nature is to be respected. You don't want to hurt the beauty it gives us so freely." His daughter nods slowly, eyes full of hope and wonder. He slowly places the flower in her outstretched palms, cautioning with his eyes not to drop it.

Emma gazes down at the flower, careful not to move her hands too much as not to crush it. She looks back up towards her father, a huge grin on her young face. Slowly putting the flower back into his open palm, she looks around them, feeling as if someone is watching.

There is a slight crunch behind her and she whips her head around, long, curly hair hitting Charming in the face. Emma sees someone walking closer and pushes herself out of her father's arms. She runs in the direction of the sound, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was coming towards them. The person comes into view and Emma starts to run faster, tripping over her tiny feet. Snow smiles softly when she sees Emma, bending down to her level, opening her arms wide. Emma runs straight into her mother's arms, clasping her tiny hands around Snow's neck.

Snow picks up her giggling daughter and twirls her around, causing Emma to laugh harder. Snow laughs with her and then stops spinning, holding her daughter tight in her arms.

"I see someone has been playing in the gardens again," Snow remarks, plucking a few leaves from Emma's curls and trying to rub some dirt off her cheek. Snow feigns annoyance, but it's easy to tell she is trying hard not to laugh.

"I was looking at the pretty flowers and then Daddy called me over," Emma turns toward Charming, sticking her tongue out at him. He in response sticks out his tongue too, before looking over at his wife.

"Really, and what was it that Daddy wanted to show you that was so important?" Snow asks. Emma squirms in her mother's arms, and then runs back to her father when placed back on the ground. She gently takes the flower that is still in his hand and dashes back to Snow, holding it up for her to see.

"This! It's the most prettiest flower I have ever seen! But Daddy says I mustn't drop it or crush it, otherwise it will be gone forever!" Snow smiles at Emma's exaggeration, and then turns toward James with adoration evident on her face.

"Yes and that would not be very good," she reasons, looking back at Emma. She gently takes the flower from her daughter's cupped hands. "Let's find a place to put it so it won't get hurt, hm?" She crouches back down to Emma's level and then gently places the flower behind her ear. The red flower shows brightly in the young girl's blond hair, adding a sense of beauty to the already pretty child.

"There! Now you'll always know where it is," Snow said, gently running her hand through Emma's golden locks. Emma grins at her mother before turning back to her father.

"Look, Daddy! Mommy put the flower in my hair!"

"You look beautiful, Princess!" He tells her, smiling softly. Emma grins widely and then looks back at Snow questioningly.

"What is it, Emma?"

"You need a flower in your hair too! Then we can both be a princess!" Snow smiles at her daughter's words and looks up at her husband when she hears him laugh. He smirks slightly, making his way to his girls.

"I couldn't agree more, Emma," he replies, pulling Snow back up to her full height with one hand, and producing another red flower from behind his back with the other. It's now her turn to smirk but she stands still, letting him put the flower in her long, ebony hair. He kisses her forehead lightly before whispering in her ear.

"Now you're a princess, my love." A small giggle escapes Snow's lips and she then presses a light kiss to the scar on her husband's chin. Before Snow can respond, Emma calls her name.

"I wanna see, Mommy!" James laughs quietly as his wife pulls away to bend down to Emma's level. When Snow motions to the new addition in her hair, Emma's smile grows across her face. "Now we match!" Snow laughs and pulls her daughter in for a hug. Before letting her go, Snow places a kiss on Emma's hair and then rises to stand next to her husband. James laces their fingers together and Snow leans into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, Princess, what do you want to do now?" James asks Emma, who is staring blankly across the gardens, twirling a blond curl around her finger. She turns back to her parents as a yawn slowly overcomes her.

"I think," Snow begins, "that it's time for a nap for the little princess." Emma only nods, her eyes slowly starting to close while her finger still absentmindingly twirls her hair. Before Snow can say anything else, James lets go of her hand and gently picks up Emma in both of his arms. As Emma nestles into her father's embrace, Snow gently pushes away the golden hair from her daughter's face.

"Are we going home, Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetheart. When you wake up, you'll be back home in bed," Snow answers, softly caressing her little girl's cheek. "You can sleep now."

"Sweet dreams, Emma," James whispers softly, carefully pressing a kiss to her hair.

_Fin._


	2. Chapter 2

**AN**: So this is reallllllllly late considering I posted the first part back in August….but in all honestly it was supposed to be a one-shot! But with all the positive reviews I got you all compelled me to write more! You make a newcomer to fanfiction writing feel very welcome! Hope you enjoy this! The split in the middle jumps back to the time period in the first part. Hopefully that isn't too confusing!

I own nothing (sadly, otherwise we'd have a fluffy Christmas episode and a Charming family TV series….)  
Also, all mistakes are my own…so if you see anything let me know!

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_Flashback three years ago…_

Snow could tell something was going to happen. For the first time in months she felt happier, like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't felt like this since before her and Charming's formal wedding. Since then they had been worried about Regina's threat, trying to do everything in their power to protect themselves from a looming curse. But now, _now_, everything felt right again. When her husband asked why she was suddenly happy Snow could only say "everything is going to change."

Catching his wife's happiness, Charming could feel the change coming as well. The world didn't seem so dark anymore and his wife was no longer worried about their future. In what felt like months, they were finally able to be excited about the arrival of their first child. Doc had told them that they could expect the child to be born within the next week or two which only made the expectant parents more ecstatic.

Of course there was still that slight hint of fear amongst the couple, but to ease their own worries Snow would recount their visit to Rumpelstiltskin in the mines. He hinted that the way to beat the curse before it happened was held in the product of true love. As usual Charming brushed aside the remark and decided to be more focused on defeating the Evil Queen. But Snow had mulled over the advice for days after. _The product of true love….but that could only mean…_

About a week after Snow and Charming started to feel the change in the air, their first child was born. Instead of anxiety and fear they felt nothing but joy and happiness. Wrapped in a white blanket with her name embroidered in purple, Emma slept contently in her mother's arms. After hours of labor and then finally giving birth to their daughter, Snow was more than happy to just curl up next to her husband and watch Emma sleep.

"The product of true love…." Snow sighed quietly, so low Charming thought he misheard her speaking.

"What?" he asked just as quietly not wanting to disturb his sleeping daughter. He as well was staring at Emma in his wife's arms trying to comprehend the precious gift life had given them. Snow looked up and smiled softly to her husband. She slowly started to shift their daughter into his arms before leaning back against his side. Laying her head on his shoulder to continue gazing at Emma, she spoke again. "The product of true love…Emma being born before Regina could act on her threat…"

"Was the key for stopping her plans all together," Charming murmured looking down at the bundle in his arms with awe. "He was right."

"Of course he was. We were silly to not listen in the first place," Snow laughed softly, "when has he ever been wrong?" She gave her husband a pointed look which he studiously ignored. In the comfortable silence, the new parents gazed upon their daughter; grateful (not for the first time) they had found each other.

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Watching Emma sleep had always been one of Snow's favorite things ever since she was born. After Charming had tucked Emma in for her nap and left the room, Snow lingered back, only planning on staying a few extra minutes. As she brushed her daughter's blond curls back her hand came across the red flower she placed there earlier. Carefully extracting it from the hair, Snow placed it gently on the table nearest the bed before returning to her daughter.

"You forgot one," a voice says from behind her. Turning around Snow sees her husband standing at the door staring back at her. "Forgot one what?" she asks. Instead of answering, he walks towards her. Stopping a few inches away, he lifts his hand to her hair removing her own red flower.

"This," he finally answers before leaning around her to place the flower next to the other on the table. "Now she has two."

Snow smiles and then turns around to give Emma one last kiss on the cheek. When she straightens up she feels a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist. She leans back into her husband's chest, more than willing to be in his arms. After a moment of watching their daughter sleep, Charming tightens his hold on his wife before pressing a kiss to her temple. "Come, she'll find us when she wakes."

Snow lets him guide her from the room, entwining their fingers as they leave. Walking down the corridor, she smiles softly to herself.

"What's that smile for?" Charming asks teasingly, glancing at his wife. Snow laughs and shakes her head, not answering right away. He lets her gather her thoughts before saying anything else.

"I'm just thinking," she finally starts, "about when Emma was born. And we figured out that she was the key to defeating Regina. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it was only a few years. I can't imagine our lives any other way than what we have." Snow smiles broadly, looking up to her husband. Charming pulls her to a stop before stepping in front of her, returning the smile.

"Neither can I. You and Emma are everything to me. A life without you two is a life I never want to experience," he responds pulling Snow closer.

"Well if I have any say, which I do, you will never experience that," she says, slowly slipping her arms around his neck, pulling his head down closer to hers.

"I'm glad to hear," he responds huskily before pressing his lips to hers in a deep, loving kiss.

_Fin._

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Thanks again for reading and I hope you liked it! Pretty much just wrote it out in about an hour so if it seems rushed and choppy at parts that would be why! :)


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